I'll Be Home for Christmas
by Indecisively Yours
Summary: AU. She'll have his balls if he doesn't show up on time. [Part of the Quickmas Series]


_Hi! So this is the beginning of this little thing I do over on tumblr. called QUICKMAS! For twenty-five days, I post twenty-five quick fics! It's technically the second year of this tradition. Hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

_I'll Be Home for Christmas_

* * *

Puck's fingers tap on the armrest as the plane makes its descent onto the runway. He's home. After almost ten months of being gone and seeing his family last, he's home.

He's already planned out what he's going to do. First thing on the list: have a cheeseburger. Not one of those fast food ones, either, but a freshly grilled one with the works. Maybe some pepper jack cheese and onions and whatever else they can throw on it.

Quinn will hate him for it and shove a few mints in his direction, banning all kissing. Come to think of it, in her current state, she might join him on having one of those cheeseburgers.

He's always surprised when the few people clap at the plane's safe landing. Whatever it is, superstition or politeness, he wants nothing but to get off this damn plane. He wants to find his girl at the gate, hold her in his arms, and keep her next to him forever.

Yeah, you can call him a sap if you want. When you find the one, you find it and there's no changing your mind. Believe him when he says there's no changing his mind when it comes to how he feels about Quinn.

He's quick to grab his backpack from the overhead and head out. Normally, he'd go for a window seat but he really wanted an aisle so he could get the fuck off this plane as soon as possible.

Spotting Jake at the security gate, just before baggage claim, a smile appears on Puck's face. He embraces his brother, clapping him on the back.

"Nice to see you man," Puck says, pulling away. "Where's my wife?"

He glances around, searching for the rest of the party. Maybe Quinn's sitting down. Being nine months pregnant might do that to you. He's seen her recently, through Skype and stuff, and she looked huge.

"About that," Jake begins to say. He takes a step back from his brother. "I'm here alone. We're headed straight for the hospital."

His eyes widen. He grabs Jake by the arm of his coat and rushes him to baggage claim.

"What the fuck happened?" Puck asks. Jake moves to stand in front of him once they reach baggage claim. "You better start talking dude or so help me––"

"Dude, calm down," Jake says. He places a hand on Puck's shoulder. "She's fine. She just went into labor."

That doesn't help Puck at all. His wife's going into labor and he's not there. Fuck, she's not supposed to be due for another two weeks. He made sure of it when he spoke with her.

"My wife's in labor and you just want me to calm down?" Puck retorts. "She's going to kill me if I'm not there."

* * *

"I'm going to kill him if he doesn't get here," Quinn says with clenched teeth. Judy reaches out and brushes her hair back from her face, encouraging her to breathe.

Leave it to her to go into labor the day her husband's scheduled to get back. She should be in the airport right now, welcoming him home––not in a hospital bed waiting for an epidural.

"Sweetie, I'm sure he'll be here soon," Judy says. She reaches for the wet towel and places it on Quinn's forehead. "He wouldn't miss the birth of his first daughter."

Another contraction hits. Quinn lets out a yell of pain, gripping the safety bar on the bed. Where he hell's that epidural she was promised?

"I'll call Jake," Kitty proposes, pulling out her cell phone and showing it to her. She beings to head to the hall as she holds the phone to her ear. "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"You tell Noah Puckerman that if he doesn't get here before this baby comes out, I'll personally make sure he can't have anymore!" Quinn shouts.

* * *

Jake winces, holding the phone away from his ear. Jesus Christ, Quinn's definitely got a set of lungs on her. He worries for the genetics their kid's going to have.

"_Did you hear that?_" Kitty asks, placing the phone back to her ear.

"Loud and clear," Jake responds. He glances over at Puck, who sits in the passenger's seat with a clenched jaw. "We'll be there soon."

Puck grabs the phone from Jake. "Put Quinn on the phone," he tells Kitty.

"_I really don't think she wants to talk to you..._" she warns him.

"Just do it!" Puck shouts. He hears a muffling, like an exchange, before a split second of silence. "Babe? It's me."

* * *

"Don't you babe me, you son of a bitch!" Quinn shouts. She's never been one to use that kind of language; then again, she's never had to push a kid out of her. "Where the hell are you?"

Another contraction hits. Is she fully dilated yet? Where the hell is that guy with the epidural?! She lets out a shaky breath just as Puck repeats his answer.

"_We'll be there soon, promise._"

"I'm two weeks early and all you can say is 'we'll be there soon'?" she shouts.

_"And that's my fault?!"_

"Yes!" Quinn shouts. "If it wasn't for your sperm and your two week visit, we wouldn't be having this problem right now?!"

"_You're the one that's pushing the baby out too early!"_

"The baby you impregnated me with!" she retorts. "Just get here already!"

* * *

Even Puck has to pull the phone away from his ear. He almost forgot how much of a screamer Quinn could be, both in bed and out of it.

"Floor it," Puck says, once the call ends. "Or she'll have my nuts."

"Thought she already had those," Jake snickers, earning him a punch on the arm from his older brother.

Oh well. Kitty'll get a kick out of that one later.

* * *

"Honey, you need to push," Judy encourages Quinn, holding her hand.

She shakes her head. Not yet. Puck's not here yet. He promised he'd be here. She said she'd wait.

"Quinn..." the midwife says. "Sweetie, we need you to push."

She throws her head back and shakes her head as a small tear falls from her eye.

"Not yet," Quinn whispers. "He's not here yet. He promised he'd be here."

The midwife shoots Judy a look, who then shoots Kitty a look. Kitty nods, pulling out her phone to make another call, when the door flies open.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Puck announces, donning the same blue cover as the rest of them.

"You ass!" Quinn retorts, reaching for his hand all the same. He grabs it, crouching by her side. "I missed you."

He places a kiss on her forehead. "I know."

"You suck."

He chuckles. "I know."

The midwife looks up at Quinn. "He's here now, Quinn. We need you to push."

She lets out a scream as she does, gripping Puck's hand so tightly that he's surprised all of that physical strength is contained in such a girl.

* * *

"Holy fuck," Puck whispers, finally feeling like his hand isn't being crushed to bits.

"Your daddy's just a whiner," Quinn says to their daughter in her arms. "He'll know real pain once he delivers a baby without an epidural."

He mumbles something under his breath just as the nurse walks in with a bit of paperwork.

"You three make a beautiful family," she says with a smile. "Have you picked out a name for her, yet?"

Quinn glances over at Puck. So she was serious about letting him pick the name?

"Beth," he answers. "We're naming her Beth."

The nurse smiles and writes it down on her clipboard, softly mouthing out _Be-th Puck-er-man_ as she writes it down.

"What a beautiful name," the nurse says. She glances at the clock with a smile. "A few minutes past midnight, too. Merry Christmas to you both," she says before she exits.

Quinn turns to Puck once she leaves. "You ready to hold her?"

Puck nods before allowing Quinn to carefully place their baby girl in his arms.

They both agree; it's the best Christmas to date.


End file.
